Adjustable bowling ball grip



Dec. 12, 1961 R. H. BUNK ET AL ADJUSTABLE BOWLING BALL GRIP Filed Feb.26, 1960 INVENTORS RALPH H. BUNK WILLIAM O. TRISSELL ATTORN YS UnitedStates Patent 3,012,783 Patented Dec. 12, 1961 3,012,783 ADJUSTABLEBOWLING BALL GRIP Ralph H. Bunk, 3640 McCord Road, and William O.Trissell, 5703 Webster Road, both of Sylvania, Ohio Filed Feb. 26, 1960,Ser. No. 11,221 3 Ciairns. (Cl; 273-63) This invention relates to anadjustable grip for a bowling ball.

Bowling balls are provided with two or more radial openings, one for thethumb and one, or in some cases two, for the fingers. The sizes of thediameters of the openings, particularly the size of the diameter of thethumb opening, is of great importance for accurate control of the ball.The fit should be such that the thumb and fingers move smoothly in andout, i.e., exactly the right frictional resistance should be providedand this can be changed by very slight variations in the effectivediameters of the openings.

The required accuracy of fit results in difliculties in use, due toexpansion and contraction of the solid material of the ball, changes inthumb and finger sizes due to, for example, calluses, the humidity dueto, for example, perspiration, etc. Hence, it is desirable to pro videan adjustable grip. However, it is the usual practice to drill the ballafter individual measurements have been taken to provide a permanentgrip. Thereafter, any adjustment is made only by plugging and redrillingand reshaping. Since adjustment is frequently desirable, such usualpractice results either in undue expense or, alternatively, ininaccurate bowling and in discomfort.

It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to provide anadjustable grip for a bowling ball, the grip having an opening which isadjustable as to the size of its diameter providing an adjustable fingeror thumb hole.

Another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable bowling ballgrip of relatively simple construction yet which is of rugged build tostand up well under heavy use.

Still another object is to provide a bowling ball thumb and/or fingerhole which is very easily adjustable.

A further object is to provide an adjustable bowling ball grip which isof low cost and which is easy to install in the bowling ball. 7

Another object is to provide a bowling ball grip that satisfies thedemands of the ordinary users of bowling balls.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent uponperusal of the following description as illustrated by the accompanyingdrawings in which:

FIG. I is a vertical sectional view of the adjustable bowling ball gripof the invention incorporated in a bowling ball;

FIG. II is a plan view of the adjustable bowling ball grip shown in FIG.I; and

FIG. III is a vertical sectional view of a modified bowling ball grip.

The following description and the accompanying drawings are to be takenas illustrative of the invention but are not to impose limitations onits scope.

A bowling ball 1 is provided with a conventional drilled radial fingerhole 2 and a drilled radial hole 3 which receives the adjustable grip 4of the invention. An adjustable grip 4 may be used in both or in eitherone of the holes 2 and 3 the hole 2 in such case being enlarged toreceive the grip.

The adjustable grip 4 includes three components, a hollow cylindricalhousing 5, a sleeve 6,'and an adjustment nut 7.

The housing 5 is formed of a rigid synthetic resin that is tough anddurable; it is formed as a hollow right cylinder and held by means ofcement 8 in the hole 3 and is rounded at 9 and 10 after installation by,for example, filing, to the shape of the ball and to provide a smoothentrance for the thumb, respectively.' Alternatively, the housing 5 maybe externally threaded and held by means of cooperating threads in thehole 3 or the housing 5 may be internally threaded at its bottom andheld by means of cooperating threads on a mounting cap fixed as by ascrew in the bottom of the hole 3. The housing 5 has a collar 11 at itsupper end and is internally threaded at its lower end.

The sleeve 6 is formed as a hollow right cylinder of a flexible, elasticsynthetic resin, such as polyethylene, and is received in a close fitwithin the housing 5, the sleeve 6 being slipped into the housing fromthe lower end of the housing until the sleeve engages the collar 11 onthe housing. The adjustment nut 7, which may be formed of the samematerial as the housing 5, retains the sleeve 6 in the housing 5. Thesleeve 6 defines the thumb hole for the ball 1 the diameter of whichhole is adjustable and is at a maximum when the adjustment nut 7 bearslightly on the sleeve so as not to deformingly compress it between thenut 7 and the collar 11 as illustrated in full lines in FIG. I.

The adjustment nut 7 is threaded at its lower end to engage the internalthreads of the housing 5, has a crown 12 which is not threaded so as toprovide a clearance space 13 between the crown and the inner wall of thehousing 5 and which is provided with a flange 14 for retaining the lowerend of the sleeve 6 in place against the inner wall of the housing 5when the sleeve is deformingly compressed, and has a rectangularlyshaped hole 15 (FIG. II) for receiving a suitably shaped tool. When theadjustment nut 7 is turned by means of such tool to the right or left,it permits the flexible elastic sleeve 6 to expand longitudinally, orcompresses the sleeve so as to reduce the size of the thumb hole. Thesleeve 6 is shown in full lines in FIG. I in its free or uncompressedcondition. The broken lines in FIG. I indicate the deformed shape of thesleeve 6 under compression wherein the diameter of the thumb hole isreduced, the inner walls of the sleeve flowing inwardly under pressure.

The adjustable grip 4 satisfies the demands of the ordinary users ofbowling balls. The adjustment to vary the size of the hole or holes iseasy to make and the polyethylene sleeve releases the thumb and/orfinger nicely providing exactly the right frictional resistance.

install in the bowling ball, and stand up well under heavy use.

A modification of the adjustable grip 4 is shown in FIG. III. Similarreference numerals in FIGS. I and'Il and FIG. III refer to parts whichare alike in structure and in function. The only real difference betweenthe adjustable grip 4 and the modified adjustable .grip 4a is adifference in shapes of the adjustment nuts 7 and 7a.

This permits the sleeve 6a to be longer than the sleeve 6.

The housing 5 is shown rounded at 9 and 10. The housing 5a is shownbefore installation in a bowling ball and Y broken lines in FIG. IIIindicate the deformed shape which the sleeve 6a assumes undercompression when I, the adjustment nut 7a is turned to compress thesleeve The three components can be made at low cost, are easy to v Thesleeve 6a is shown in full lines in FIG. III in its free or uncompressedcondition. The.

3 between the nut and the collar 11a whereupon the diameter of the thumbhole is reduced.

Various modifications in details of construction may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described the invention, we claim:

1. An adjustable grip for a bowling ball comprising, in combination, aninternally threaded, single-walled, hollow housing receivable in aradial opening in the ball, a collar on the housing, a flexible,elastic, single-walled sleeve fitted snugly within the housing, and anadjustment nut cooperating with the internally threaded hollow housing,the sleeve being retained in the housing by the collar at its one endand the adjustment nut at its other end, the nut having means engagingan end surface of the sleeve to as to impart a longitudinal compressiveforce on said end of the sleeve when turned in a direction toward thecollar to compress the sleeve so as to reduce the internal diameter ofthe sleeve an amount varying from a minimum reduction adjacent the endsof the sleeve to a maximum reduction between said ends of the sleeve,-turning of the adjustment nut in the opposite direction permitting thesleeve to expand longitudinally to its uncompressed position.

2. An adjustable grip for a bowling ball according to claim 1 whereinthe sleeve is polyethylene for smooth release of the thumb or finger.

3. An adjustable grip for a bowling ball comprising, in combination, aninternally threaded, hollow, one-piece housing receivable in a radialopening defined by the ball, a flexible elastic sleeve fitted snuglywithin the housing, stop means on the housing, and an adjustment nutcooperating with the internally threaded hollow housing, the sleevebeing retained in the housing by the stop means at its one end and theadjustment nut at its other end, the nut having means engaging an endsurface of the sleeve so as to impart a longitudinal compressive forceon said end of the sleeve when turned in a direction toward the stopmeans to compress the sleeve so as to reduce the internal diameter ofthe sleeve an amount varying from a minimum reduction adjacent the endsof the sleeve to a maximum reduction between said ends of the sleeve,turning of the adjustment nut in the opposite direction permitting thesleeve to expand longitudinally to its uncompressed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,210,528 Darby Aug. 6, 1940 2,372,958 Keith Apr. 3, 1945 2,372,959Keith Apr. 3, 1945 l l 4 l

